
MAYVIEW PARK 

BLOWmO ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA 




4 





IN CLOUDLAND 



Mayview Park, Blowing Rock, North Carolina 



"Written and Arranged by Crete Hutchinson 




W. L. Alexander, Owner, Blowing Rock, North Carolina 



Copyright, 1920, by W. L. Alexander 



Photographs from H. W. Pelton and Earl Hardy 



SEP 22 i920 

©C1A5758V2 

Press of Judd & Detweiler, Inc. 
Washington, D. C. 



Fa 6 /-* 



^—^-4 



Curves 

God thinks in such convincing curves and chaUces; 
Mountains and hills, lilies and birds in flight — 
And in the sky where Beauty's palace is, 
Bubble on bubble of transcendent light. 
Disc upon disc of fire, jewel on jewel. 
Fed ceaselessly by His undying fuel. 



Rocks 

Rocks are jagged and weird and wild. 

Or they are beautiful and glad. 

Or they are wistful as a child. 

Or they are grim and sad. 

Some days they are like dancing flame. . . . 

They never are the same. 

They never are the solid mass 

We think they are, and could we pass 

Before them in their native key, 

Another substance they would be. 

Rocks may betray an undulating grace. 

Warm gestures and a living face. 

Teaching a secret we have not been told — 

That we, not they, are dull and hard and cold ! 

©John Lane Co. Angela Morgan. 





Wonderland Trail in Mayview Park commands the finest and most soul inspiring views of the 
Blue Ridge in Western North Carolina. 



In Cloudland 




-I) " IGH above the clouds and over hanging the John's River Gorge are the finest and most soul 
inspiring views of the Blue Ridge in Western North Carolina. From Blowing Rock to the Tryon 
Mountain the Blue Ridge forms a deep curve half encircling the jumble of wild rocky peaks and 
cliffs that belong to the foot hill formation of the Appalachians. The little village of Blowing 
Rock lies on one arm of the horseshoe while the Tryon Mountain forms the other. From both 
points, directly in front is an enormous bowl filled with a thousand tree-clad hills and ridges that 
become higher and wilder toward the encircling wall of the Blue Ridge. The conspicious bare 
stone summits of Hawk's Bill and Table Mountain rise sharp as dragon's teeth above the rest, 
while the sheer and shining face of the terrible Lost Cove Cliffs, dropping into some unexplored 
ravine, come to view on a clear day. 

Mayview Rock, in Mayview Park, is forty-five hundred feet above sea level. It is accessible 
and is approached both from the Tennessee side through Johnson City, Tennessee and through 
North Carolina by way of Hickory. Johnson City is on the Southern Railway and is the preferred route for tourists from 
the south and all western points. At Johnson City a change is made to the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina 
Railroad which operates a parlor car service to ShuUs Mills, North Carolina. This part of the journey is through the Doe 
River Gorge and affords the traveler views of many superb scenic wonders. The trip from Shulls Mills to Mayview 
Park is by automobile stage, the short distance of six miles over the Yonahlossee Road, a twenty-five foot motor road of 
maximum four percent grade. 

Pullman service on the Southern Railway is obtainable to Hickory, where a change is made to the Western North Caro- 
lina Railroad to Lenoir. The Hickory route is the one usually preferred by travelers visiting this region from the north and 
east. At Lenoir an automobile stage meets all trains and the climb is made over a fine turnpike, a distance of twenty miles. 
The broad winding road is along the banks of the Catawba and Yadkin Rivers and the peaks of Grandfather, Beech Mountain, 
Hanging Rock, Hawk's Bill and many other peaks of the Blue Ridge are constantly in view. It is possible to make the trip 
from Lenoir to Mayview Park, Blowing Rock in one and a half hours and every moment is filled with exquisite glimpses of 
wonderful deep hemlock coves, of craggy rocks moss-grown and covered with the profuse blooms of the rhododendron. 




Above the mad waters of the Doe River, the roadbed, chiseled through solid rock, climbs to the famous Blowing Rock region, 

matchless in climate and beautiful in scenic wonders. 




Through the Canon of the Doe the skill of modern engineering enables the traveler to approach the summits of the 

Blue Ridge with ease and comfort. 




Grandfather Mountain at sunset is silhouetted against the sky in fiery splendor. 



The Famous Blowing Rock Region 




REAT STONE FACE, that remarkable profile, which appears on Grandfather Mountain, and 
is said to have named the mountain itself, is just a short drive from Mayview^ Park. Along the 
Yonahlossee Road untold beauties unfold and the true lover of the grandeur of the mountains 
here receives full measure. It winds around and crosses the Grandfather passing some of the 
loveliest spots in the east. The many trips that may be made by motor, buggy and by horseback 
about the peaks of Grandfather are replete with surprises. On the road to Linville, a distance 
of twenty-two miles, a stop may be made at the Great Trail where a climb of three and a half 
miles brings one to the highest point in this region, 5,997 feet, the Calloway Peak of the Grand- 
father. On Calloway Peak was situated the hotel so long conducted by the Calloway family 
and here Shepherd M. Dugger wrote "The Balsam Groves of the Grandfather." About eighteen 
miles further along at McRae's Gap is a trail up to the Linville Peak. This is a most delightful 
horseback ride through galax-covered slopes where the balsam and spruce trees are silhouetted 
against the blue sky. On the Yonahlossee Road are the shimmering Bridal Veil Falls, the headwaters of the John's River, 
and the Wilson Creek Falls, the headwaters of that stream. Both are a joy to the sportsman for in their limpid waters the 
epicure's speckled trout abounds. The circuitous drive continues through Linville to Newland where a short climb enables 
one to look into six states. North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and South Carolina. The Linville River 
which empties into the Ohio is a slender ribbon winding through a cleft in the mountain on the western half of the watershed. 
From Newland to Banners Elk, where the peak of Hanging Rock Mountain may be reached by horseback is a wonder- 
ful view of practically all the peaks in Western North Carolina. Beech Mountain is only four miles from Banners Elk and is 
well worth while if one enjoys the gentle ambling of a horse and buggy. 

Years ago the village of Banners Elk had its beginning in the foundation of what is now known as "The Grandfather 
Orphanage," a fine institution conducted for the benefit of the poor homeless orphans of the mountains. It is situated in a 
sheltered spot in a grove of giant sugar maples. The Lees-McRae School for Girls is also here and is an admirably equipped 
and liberally patronized institution. 

Continuing on to Valle Crucis the way grows wilder, and if possible more beautiful. Under detached boulders covered 




After a summer rain the great bowl of John's River Gorge is filled to the brim with creamy, billowy clouds. 



\ 



with thick green moss and waving ferns, through open places on the edge of deep gorges, the highways winds. Bridle paths 
invite one to return for more feasts of beauty up among the balsam firs. Those paths seem to climb like stair steps up over 
the strong red roots of the trees and through moss-trimmed crags with their queer contorted spruces clinging like the dwarfed 
trees in a Japanese garden scheme. From the peculiar topographical crossing of two streams Valle Crucis received its name. 
The freakish flowing of water forms a cross that is plainly discernible from the eminence of the road as it drops down into 
the village. In this valley it is claimed that more corn per acre is raised than in any other county in North Carolina. 

From Valle Crucis to Shulls Mills the road follows the Watauga River revealing a magnificent wilderness of dignified 
hemlocks and great unapproachable spruce and pine trees on the dizzy cliffs above, and a sparkling tumbling rocky torrent 
beneath. Surely the early days of summer when nature makes for man's enjoyment a wonderful garden of this region, is the 
ideal time for a visit. The picturesque old-time log houses on the roadside with their patches of tilled ground nestled within 
the thickets of rhododendron, the wonderful soft breezes that are wafted from the peaks, add to the storehouse of memories 
gleaned during the drive from Mayview Park and back again through Shulls Mills, a distance of nearly sixty miles. 

Another journey to Boone, recalls incidents in the early history of the United States. The road follows the New River 
through dense thickets of laurel and high evergreens, for about ten miles. It is so well graded that it is hardly possible to 
perceive whether one is traveling up or down although the descent from Mayview Park to Boone is about one thousand feet. 
It has frequently been called the "road that is downhill both ways." Here Daniel Boone, the hunter, blazed his trail into 
Kentucky. The Daughters of the American Revolution have placed stone markers at various points in the town of Boone 
to preserve to posterity the route Boone was supposed to have taken when making his memorable journey. The present court 
house is the third one to be erected in the town and gives an interesting bit of American history to the visitor. The return 
may be made through Aho with a very steep climb around Flat Top and Thunder Hill Mountains. The views from these 
mountains are well worth the effort in bringing a car to the top. 

The trip to Dutch Creek Falls affords the greatest enjoyment to the motorist. About one mile west from Valle Crucis 
the Dutch Creek rises on Grandfather Mountain and slides over great shining rocks in a sheer drop of seventy or eighty feet, 
forming the headwaters of the Watauga River. One leaves the car on the roadside and climbs up a path to obtain the view. 
It is easily one of the iinest of the many waterfalls in this part of the Blue Ridge, and nowhere else do botanists find so large 
and fine a variety of wild flowers as on the byways of the Grandfather up through the untouched forests and moss-carpeted 
trails. 

In Mayview Park the trout lurk beneath the Glen Burnie Falls and the sunset trails lead to heavenly vistas of the great 




A field of daisies high above tli- 



range of which Grandfather is a part. On clear days the Black 
Mountains with Mount Mitchell outlined against the sky are 
easily distinguished while down below in the bottom of the gorge 
the John's River races merrily along, sometimes hurrying over a 
rocky bed in riotous cascades, sometimes flowing leisurely 
through straight sandy stretches. Little farm houses dot its 
banks and tiny plots of carefully tilled fields stretch in diminutive 
landscapes on the floor below. From Wonderland and Valley 
View Trails the views are superb. No words can describe the 
magnificent beauty and grandeur of the hoary old Grandfather 
with one of his many faces upturned against the sky, as viewed 
from the various points in Mayview Park and from the famous 
Blowing Rock. In the winter this genuine old man of the moun- 
tains when silvered with frost or blanched with snow presents the 
appearance of great age and in the summer is rejuvenated with 
mantels of softest green and purple. His slopes are tapestried in 
hangings of the richest hues in the autumn and at all seasons of 
the year he welcomes the lover of wild unspoiled spaces. 

The wild flowers are finest in May and June but are profuse 
all through the mild warm days of summer and even into the 
crisp autumn which lingers well on into December. The shining 
galax is everywhere and is best about Christmas time when busy 
people gather the richest red ones for the Yuletide market. Galax 
picking is a profitable industry among the simple kind-hearted 
mountain folk. They come to the high ridges from the lowlands 
and erect rude shelters for their families for the season of gather- 
ing. All along the Yonahlossee Road enroute to Linville these 
little rock houses with their thatched roofs of hemlock and spruce 




Glen Burnie Falls. 




View from Valley View Trail when the moon casts her gentle rays on the pristine loveliness of the clouds beneath. 



boughs may be seen. For several weeks the leaves are a beautiful soft shade of red, the mellowed red of old wine, and they find 
a ready market in the cities where they are used as backgrounds for the brilliant cultivated flowers of the holiday season. 

The ginseng is gathered too and shipped to far off China and the many health-giving herbs that grow in secluded glens 
known only to the mountain folk are in demand in laboratories the world over. In their season blackberries and blueberries 
are plentiful and the wild strawberries are everywhere. It is in this section that the delicious Indian peach is grown and 
when the cherry and peach trees, the apple blossoms too, are in bloom, the mountains form a veritable fairyland of colorful 
beauty. Enormous gooseberries invite you to taste and then impishly prick your fingers and the red strawberries seem 
sweeter here and more delectable than in other places. 

For the one who loves to wander on foot, new joys are ever unfolding and the freshness and fragrance of the air will 
remain in memory to the end of earthly days. Truly it is all so wonderful that you abandon yourself to the mere primitive 
instincts of utter enjoyment through the senses. Up Laurel Lane and Bird's Nest Trail the air is filled with tonic bitter 
fragrance. Great rhododendron and mountain laurel line the way and you go on and on without fatigue. At the top-most 
point of Wonderland Trail, Mayview Rock rears its lichen-covered face. Here the vista is unsurpassed and from its dizzy 
heights the gorgeous summer sunsets with the ever changing hues of the rich after-glow gives one an experience for lifelong 
retrospection. 

Sometimes one rises early after a summer rain to find the great bowl beneath filled to the very brim with level creamy 
clouds that reach away from the shores of the peaks in a mighty ocean of billowing snowy whiteness. If the day is heavy 
perhaps the clouds will remain until the moon casts her gentle rays over the pristine loveliness. The dream-like forms 
immersed in such a sea of mystical delight disclose a thousand enchanting pictures. When the atmospheric sea recedes the 
wild forms in the great basin seem so near and the dark colors are transmuted into the delicate blue of the Blue Ridge. 

A place for rest and recuperation from the cares of the city is Mayview Park. Here the visitor can dream and idle away 
the vacation time in the purifying altitude of the Grandfather. The air is considered by scientists incomparable, rich in 
ozone, and the beauty of scenery and salubrity of climate make it an ideal playground for the hot summer months. For the 
resident it affords the opp>ortunity to not only make a living through the richness of the land but a home of satisfying 
beauty and comfort. In winter it is cool crisp and bracing without being rigorous. The months of July and August each 
have an annual mean temperature of seventy-one degrees and the month of February, a mean temperature of thirty-seven de- 
grees. The average humidity is very low and because of the topography of Mayview Park and its elevation above the sea, 
the highest temperatures are not accompanied by the oppressive, enervating and sultry conditions so frequently expe- 




rienced in less favored sections of the mountains. The mean 
average rainfall of the region is only forty-one inches, evenly dis- 
tributed throughout the year. Snow falls have averaged for 
several years only ten inches annually, generally in short flurries, 
distributed usually through six months of the year. Nature has 
lavishly bestowed a wealth of health-giving, invigorating bal- 
samic atmosphere in an altitude so high above the surrounding 
country, so rare and bracing that the lungs inhale liberally of the 
pure oxygen. Children are particularly benefited by the climatic 
conditions and tired mothers with small children who fret in the 
torrid months of July and August have been seeking relief here 
for many years. Persons, not ordinarily fond of walking, tramp 
up and down the hills apparently without fatigue. The nights are 
always cool with the temperature averaging in the hottest 
months, about fifty degrees. It is always necessary to sleep under 
blankets and the deep, nerve-relaxing slumber rehabilitates and 
brings a renewal of strength. Here one may enjoy the isolation of 
unexplored mountain fastnesses amid the comfort of modern and 
up-to-date hotels, in the quiet of the little cottages nestled in the 
hills or one may camp out in the open along the trails. Oppor- 
tunities for vigorous exercise exist for the golf enthusiast and the 
tennis devotee and the indefatigable equestrian is in a Paradise 
of his own. 

The horseback trails furnish temptations irresistible. A 
favorite trip is the climb up to the very top peak of the Grand- 
father before sunset and bivouac above the clouds for the night. 
Rising early with the sun the glorious views on every side disclose 
the entire territory with its scenic wonders. The incomparable 



Twin Falls. 



and solemn magnificence of the views have been told and retold 
in song and poem after the writer has experienced the joy of a 
night on the Grandfather. The charming and fragrant valleys 
which lie at the foot of the venerable old mountain with their 
fields and orchards, the primeval untouched tree-clad hills and 
the gigantic upheaval of boulders stand forth at the break of 
day in a vivid array of riotous greens which blend gorgeously 
into the sapphire blue of the morning sky. The ancient trunks 
of fallen trees bright with yellowish green moss, the balsam 
groves and fern-covered rocks line the rich-carpeted moss-grown 
trails. Over the deep emerald ocean flossed with golden sun- 
shine the Blue Ridge stands forth with its line broken in a hun- 
dred peaks, many of them nearly six thousand feet above the level 
of the sea. 

Returning to Mayview Park in the early morning along the 
open stretches and rocky bluffs new sights and sounds abound 
on every side. The birds have cleverly hidden their nests among 
the thick mosses and the charm of such a ride is filled with end- 
less variety. 

Another ride that is always taken by the energetic one is 
over the trail to the famous Blowing Rock. There is an excel- 
lent motor road quite to the very brink of the eminence but to go 
by the trail skirting the great cliffs, passing Jaggy Point and 
enjoying the bounteous fragrance of the wild flowers, is by far 
the most satisfying way of enjoying the "Rock" itself. It is 
visible from every point along the devious way and stands like a 
great citadel overlooking the grand gorge beneath. Drooping 
violets under shading boughs of evergreen invite one to loiter by 




Bird's Nest Trail to The Pinnacles. 




John's River Gorge from Wonderland Trail. 




A second growth of hickory trees. 




the path while darting rays of sunshine beckon and the music of 
hidden waters gives forth the strains of invisible choirs. On the 
high plateau above great hotels with their busy murmurings of 
pleasure-seeking vacationists reach one while below all is wild 
and in its unspoiled splendor invites day dreams and fantastic 
imagery. The wild flowers and sweet-smelling herbs that love 
only high places permeate the evening breezes with sweet per- 
fume while the great purple rhododendron and rose-hued laurel 
crowding against the hills and filling the open spaces remain in 
view until the last ray of the sunset's glow deepens into the 
lovely night. 

The views from Blowing Rock and Mayview Park change 
continually in the atmospheric sea that encloses the mountains 
and deep valleys. The solid rock seems to melt into a myriad of 
fairy forms and the elemental, the primordial, the silence of the 
ages bring the hush and repose of a measureless antiquity to one, 
while musing from a coign of vantage. Wild shapes seem to ap- 
pear in the depths of John's River Gorge sometimes very near, 
and again phantoms wander in wraith-like and fantastic fashion 
disappearing in mystical shadows beneath the trails. 

The "Rock" is gray and weather-worn, a veteran of many 
battles, green in a rich carpet of dark moss in the Spring and 
covered with great lichens of interesting variety. A motor road 
has been cut to the very brink of the gorge and all foot trails and 
bridle paths also lead to the topmost point. The overhanging 
ledge is like the ruins of some great earth temple and is a curious 
relic of a world that we know not of. In the cliffs and crags be- 
neath there are memories of a million years of terrestrial history 



Jaggy Point. 



and the geologic history is written on the granite boulders and 
inscribed on the face of every cliff. Indian legends with primitive 
love stories of beautiful maidens and warriors bold are woven 
about the great platform, a generous trysting spot for the youth 
of other centuries huge enough to build a house upon. Weighing 
hundreds of tons it stands in solitary grandeur jutting out from 
the side of Blowing Rock Mountain defying the incessant war- 
fare of the elements, never yielding to the attacks of frost and 
rain and shining sun. The youth of the earth is in the soil, in the 
trees and verdure that spring from it, but the age of the earth is 
in the great rocks, in the granite boulders which form the rugged 
foundation of all things. 

At times when Blowing Rock lies far above the clouds 
encircled in the delicate flaky veils of mist it seems detached 
from all the world and floating there like an island in a wind- 
tossed sea. Again the ledges of rugged rocks appear to peril- 
ously lean far out over a gorgeous garden of green and purple, 
peering into the darkened coves and fern grown dells. The colors 
of the Orient rapidly changing to softest rainy greens lightly 
touch the slopes of old Grandfather and as the evening falls a 
burning flush fades into the narrow line of blue, the blue of the 
wonderful Blue Ridge. 

From beneath many of the gigantic rocks through Mayview 
Park the coldest purest springs gush forth, the clear narrow 
streams tumbling recklessly down dizzy heights through tree 
grown coves. Delightful pools are lairs for speckled trout, and 
anglers find long remembered pleasures in the translucent waters. 
The artist, the poet, the student and lover of all primitive open-air 




Cliffs under Blowing Rock. 




White Oak Gap from Wonderland Trail. 



things here may reap a rich harvest of satisfying joys. The small wild creatures that find their homes in curious dens and 
nests, secluded with surprising cunning, give interesting pastime to the naturalist. Gray squirrels, red squirrels, chipmunks 
and greedy field mice hoard their winter food supply all through the lazy days of summer. The drum of the grouse when he 
calls to his mate from their old rendezvous among the chestnuts, the chirping of invisible insects, the occasional short shrill 
whistle of the woodchuck affrighted by your foot-fall and the sweet song of the brown thrasher whose notes in splendid har- 
mony rise from the tiny nest hidden in the thickets, gives you a happy sense of kindly companionship. 

In the myriad of drives and walks, in the opportunities for exercise and healthful enjoyment, Mayview Park with its 
splendid new clubhouse, its comfortable, charming little cottages, the many miles of excellent motor roads is an ideal place 
not only for the summer months but for the autumn and the early days of spring. In the spring Grandfather is clothed in 
a delicate coat of new green and the running sap in the balsam and spruce gives forth a fragrance of purifying goodness. In 
the autumn the golden hues of late summer blend with the deep crimson of early fall and the whole basin is in magnifi- 
cent royal array, and the innumerable birds sweeping southward, pause for a song among the forest trees. The great tower- 
ing chestnuts give forth their fruit and many happy hours may be spent in nutting expeditions. So each season has its 
offerings and the visitor lingers on and on loath to leave a land so near the skies. The Great Stone Face of the Grand- 
father carved in rock and plumed with ferns, worn by the elements of time invites the traveler to return again and again for 
the enjoyment and rest that comes in the solemn grandeur of the great heights of the mountains. 




On the Yonahlossee Road near Hanging Rock Mountain. 




Sunset from Pinnacle Path. 



The Development of Mayview Park 




ONDERLAND TRAIL represents one of the greatest achievements in modern road building 
in the eastern part of the United States. Forty-five hundred feet above sea level it vi^inds along 
the brink of great cliffs which command views unsurpassed in Eastern North America. Grand- 
father Mountain is the predominant feature of the marvelous landscape as viewed from various 
points along the drive and the depths of the John's River Gorge far below with the ever chang- 
ing shadows make a picturesque and wonderful experience for the motorist. 

Two years ago the development of Mayview Park was begun and today in its finished 
state is the most beautiful and without exception the finest resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains. 
M The original tract was six hundred acres of splendid virgin timber, four hundred of which were 
sold to the Government to become a part of the great National Forest Reserve. Two hundred 
acres have been commercially developed into a beautiful park with five miles of graded auto- 
I mobile roads of four percent maximum grade with a minimum width of twenty-five feet and a 
maximum width on the turns of fifty feet. At least two miles of these roads were cut through solid rock at tremendous ex- 
pense and are monuments to the skill of the engineer who surmounted the great difficulties attendant upon the undertaking. 
Valley View Trail follows the cliffs below Wonderland and finds its terminus in a wide turn at the very brink of Thun- 
der Hole. From this point the view is magnificent, facing Grandfather Mountain and the entire range of the Blacks. The 
lovely homes which have been erected on this road are scattered along the cliffs and are in the most secluded section of May- 
view Park and yet are conveniently within reach of the village of Blowing Rock. 

Wonderland Trail begins at the main street of Blowing Rock at the entrance to Mayview Park and continuing past 
Lake Mayview, an artificial lake of three acres, it climbs in circuitous broad turns and long stretches, along the crest of the 
peak to Mayview Rock. All trails within the property lead to this point where one obtains the marvelous views of the Blue 
Ridge. Table Rock, Hawk's Bill, Beech Mountain and Hanging Rock with Clingman's Dome and Mount Mitchell in the 
distance in the great Black Mountain group are visible with countless other gigantic peaks on the fine clear days of sum- 
mer. Mount Mitchell is the highest point east of the Rockies, rearing its great blue dome 6,711 feet above the level of the 
sea. There are twenty-three peaks in North Carolina higher than Mount Washington in New Hampshire, and Watauga 




Wonderland Trail in the 



jt construction. 



County is in the highest general altitude, its lowest level being 3,000 feet, of any other county in the mountainous section of 
North Carolina. All roads in the Blowing Rock region and on the Mayview Park property find their devious ways at an alti- 
tude which varies from four thousand to five thousand feet. 

North Carolina contains the oldest forest land in the United States and seventy-six percent is still forested, a little 
more than three million acres in the sixteen counties which enclose within their boundaries the range of the Blue Ridge. 
Watauga County is all in this section and Mayview Park is at the top-most point of one of the many peaks of the Grand- 
father. All roads and foot paths are carefully graded and the viewpoints are easily accessible either by motor, on horseback 
or by walking. 

The clear waters of Lake Mayview are ideal for swimming and give an added beauty to the park. It has been stocked 
with mountain trout and is a very picturesque spot. Three and one half miles of water mains have been laid with fire plugs 
at every twelve hundred feet and five miles of electric transmission lines have been carried through the property for the 
lighting of the roads and cottages. 

The coolest and purest mountain springs furnish an abundance of water which is pumped to a great reservoir on the 
highest point, from which pipes carry it by gravity to all parts of the property. This system produces a method of supply 
which is both constant and reliable and no habitations or cultivated fields exist above the points from which the water sup- 
ply is taken. The sewerage system is complete, modem newly installed and no town or city has a more satisfactory and sani- 
tary water and sewerage system. 

Beside the natural growth of rhododendron and other mountain flora, twenty car loads of nursery stock have been 
added. Along the banks of the newly cut roads wild honeysuckle has been planted and no expense has been spared to make 
this park the finest and most beautiful mountain resort in the East. The red spruce or tamarack, the hemlock and balsam, 
the great towering chestnut trees and the exquisite undergrowth of flowering shrubs make their contribution to the superb 
scenery. The lichen-covered crags and moss grown banks beguile one through shady paths to vistas of delight. 

Edgewood Path and Laurel Lane, Meadow Lane and Pinnacle Drive all join Wonderland Trail and Valley View making 
five miles of the most wonderful roads for motoring, every portion of the road plan representing a feat in the art of engineer- 
ing. At various points many hundreds of dollars were expended to preserve gigantic rocks of scenic grandeur and at no 
point is the descent dangerous. All curves have wide turns and heavy cars of long wheel base may be driven with safety to 
every part of the park. An annual trip to Grandfather will surely replenish the tired brain and give a renewal of inspira- 
tion and bodily vigor. 




Wonderland Trail in the autumn of 1919, cut through soUd rock at an elevation of forty-five hundred feet. 




Laurel Lane skirts the edge of Mayview Park, winding high above the clear waters of New Year's Creek. 




An ideal home for both summer and winter in Mayview Park. 



The Cottages in Mayview Park 




I AKE MAYVIEW is but one of the several lakes that add beauty to the grandeur of the 
views abounding in the Blowing Rock region. Overlooking its banks are charming little cot- 
tages, each one newly built, and modern in every detail with appointments that appeal to the 
most fastidious. 

The exteriors, artistic and pleasing to the eye, have broad roofs which extend over the 
verandas in wide sweeping shade. The floor plans were drawn with a careful attention to large 
living rooms, spacious fire-places and comfortable well proportioned sleeping chambers. All 
sleeping rooms have ample closet space and the baths and kitchens are not only conveniently 
arranged but have the finest plumbing material of porcelain and iron. Fire-places furnish the 
heat necessary for the coolest summer days and cord wood is obtainable in the village of Blow- 
ing Rock. 

There is a variety of design in the various cottages and they contain from five to seven 
rooms with kitchen and bath. Each one is tastefully furnished in walnut of Queen Anne design and the verandas have spe- 
cially built rustic hickory sets. The bed chambers are carpeted in hand-woven rugs and the beds are particularly comfort- 
able with good felt mattresses and soft dowTiy pillows. The sitting rooms are brightened with soft-toned grass rugs and 
attractive, comfortable and durable furniture and everything necessary for immediate occupancy has been supplied with 
the exception of portable kitchen utensils, linen, china and silver. 

The cottages situated along the Valley View and Wonderland Trails are especially attractive. Bark-covered exteriors 
blend into the natural green of the foliage almost obscuring them from view. They are simple in design and nestled on 
the very brink of Thunder Hole, afford the opportunity for solitude while enabling the occupant to enjoy the conveniences 
of Mayview Park. The spacious living rooms have an abundance of light and wide entrances into the dining rooms add to 
the comfort and beauty of each bungalow. Handsome pergolas and artistically hooded verandas disclose views of marvelous 
sunsets on the Grandfather and shaded walks lead to charming dells in the woodland beneath. 

Electric lights with fixtures harmonious in design are installed in every home. The sewerage system compares favorably 
with that of any large city. The water supply is derived from nine large mountain springs on the property and an excellent 




"Hidden Waters." 



1 "» 




Bungalow on Meadow Lane. 



filtration plant is constantly in operation. The water is carried to each 
cottage through three and one-half miles of water mains with fire 
plugs every twelve hundred feet. The gravity system insures a con- 
stant flow of the purest drinking water and is one of the desirable 
features of the Mayview Park development. It is always cool and 
refreshing and has been pronounced by scientists as containing many 
beneficial properties. The reservoirs are made of concrete and buried 
in the ground, therefore the water always remains at a low tempera- 
ture. 

A telephone system has been installed with long distance connec- 
tions and the Western Union Telegraph Company maintains a service 
in Blowing Rock. There is a daily mail service, east and west, and 
north and south, leaving Blowing Rock at eight A. M. and arriving at 
three P. M. Newspapers issued in Charlotte, North Carolina, reach 
Mayview Park in the afternoon of the same day. Each cottage occupies an acre or more of 
ground commanding the most attractive views. Paths and drives are well graded and 
converge into the main roads. Automobile storage has been provided on the property 
and a shop is maintained for repair work. Automobiles driven by competent chauffeurs 
may be rented by the day or hour and surreys and riding horses are also for hire. Physicians 
are accessible and a good pharmacy is conducted in Blowing Rock. 

Meals are served at the Mayview Club for both transients and cottagers. For those 
who wish to keep house there are eight stores where excellent food supplies are obtain- 
able. Trucks operated between Lenoir, North Carolina, and Blowing Rock; and Shulls Mills 
and Blowing Rock; deliver fresh Western meats, fish and vegetables every day. Milk, eggs, 
cheese and good country butter are for sale in the village and at the farms in the immediate 
vicinity. Many of the finest farms in North Carolina are in this region and the small fruits, 
apples and peaches are famous. The prices which prevail are less than in the nearby towns 
and the large cities of the eastern and southern states. An ice plant has been installed with 

Spring in Mayview Park. 





Blowing Rock at Sunset. 





11 IT .•- 






Overlooking John's River Gorge. 



a capacity sufficient to meet the requirements of all 
cottagers and an up-to-date laundry renders excellent 
service. No cows or pigs are permitted on the property 
and only clean private stables for horses may be main- 
tained. All stables must be kept in a strictly sanitary 
condition and fly-screened and no accumulation of 
waste is allowed. All fences erected are rustic or of 
stone and do not exceed five feet in height. All service 
quarters are screened by plants and trellises of attract- 
ive design. In fact every effort has been made to pro- 
tect the cottager from annoyances and at the same time 
conduct a resort on a sound business basis. 

The cottages are for sale as well as for rent and 
being strongly built of the best materials, convenient 
2nd inviting in arrangement are suitable for occupancy the year round as well as for the summer months. The foundation sill, 
floor joists, the sub-flooring, the regular tongued and grooved flooring, the studding, the wall sheathing, the siding, the win- 
Qow and door frames, the outside finish, the rafters, the roof sheathing, the 
steps, the stairs and all porch framing are of the best materials obtainable 
in the market today. All building paper used, the lock sets, double acting 
door hinges, window weights, nails, paints, varnishes, oils, stains, hip 
shingles, tin flashing and all other important parts necessary in the con- 
struction of these homes are superior in quality. The lumber is well sea- 
soned, sound and unsurpassed in finish, and was cut in the great forests of 
North Carolina. The wall board used throughout the interiors is the highest 
grade manufactured and makes an artistic finish for both the side walls and 
the ceilings. Every house which is painted has two coats of the best grade 
and the varnishes, oils, stains and paints for the interior finish are the 
highest-priced on the market. The doors are of special design and carefully 
built of finest clear stock of velvety grain, beautifully finished on surfaces 




lylirian CI 




"Cheetola," a beautiful mountain estate. 





'i 



The Norwood Golf Course, at an altitude of four thousand feet, is one of the most picturesque in the United States. 




and edges. The windows and door frames are carefully machined 
and finished and all jxjrch columns are of finest stock and built 
with lock joints. The window sashes, all edges and surfaces 
sanded and finished with great care, are of fir and all the outside 
walls are of a high grade yellow pine. The interior woodwork, 
the baseboards, base shoe, door and window casings are well 
machined and the casings are molded and of modern back band 
design. The front doors are fitted with night latches and two way 
knobs of frosted brass of good design and all windows are fur- 
nished with substantial locks, weights, sash lifts, hinges and glass. 
All outside steps are of correct width and height and conform to 
the lines of the houses. The interior stairs are built from selected 
stock with especial attention to grain. The newel posts, molded 
caps and bases, circle treads, steps, risers, railings and balusters 
are well finished, and all timber and other materials are guar- 
anteed to be of the highest grade obtainable. 

In an attempt to accommodate the ever increasing influx of 
summer visitors the Mayview Park cottages have been con- 
structed and each one is snug, attractive and modern- in every 
detail. The "Plaza" situated on Meadow Lane at one of the 
highest points of the property, is a thoroughbred bungalow of 
architecture purely American. Its shingled side walls are like 
those built by our early ancestors in the North while the broad 
spacious veranda is a reminder of the homes in the sunny South 
before the Civil War. The West is portrayed in the beautiful 
California pergola at the end of the porch. There are seven rooms, 
spacious and artistically finished and the location is at a point 
where the views are unsurpassed. 



Lake Cheetola. 



The "Pasadena" is a beautiful little home of sunshine and 
shade built in a secluded spot, overlooking Thunder Hole on the 
Valley View Road. The pergola and uncovered veranda enables 
one to look with undisturbed quietude upon the wonderful range 
of the Blue Ridge, while the artistic hooded doorway at the side 
entrance gives egress to the long shady winding path which drops 
down into the very depths of the gorge. The room arrangement 
has more charm than usual in convenience, comfort and spacious- 
ness. An abundance of light and good mountain air and the de- 
parture from the rough blunt lines of the average mountain home 
makes it a delightful place not only for the summer, but for all the 
seasons of the year. There are seven rooms with ample closet 
space, three bedrooms, a dining room, living room, kitchen and 
bath. 

The "Raymond" situated near the "Pasadena," also on the 
Valley View Road, commands an unobstructed view of Grand- 
father Mountain and is on the very brink of the gorge. The un- 
covered veranda, the exposed rafters and casement windows all 
contribute to the general attractiveness of this five-room bunga- 
low. A road ends at the door step and the view of the wild 
unspoiled timbered slopes with John's River more than a thou- 
sand feet below is one of the finest in the "Park." 

The "Pomona" on Edgewood Path is a seven-room bungalov.' 
of the California type nestled among the giant forest trees and 
rhododendron thickets. The overhanging eaves and broad ve- 
randa, the brown shingled side walls and green roof will appeal 
to the seeker after rest and beauty. 

The "Burbank" is a near neighbor of the "Pomona" and in 




Lake Mayview. 




Hunters' Guide and Harmon Knob from the Valley View Road. 




Near Edgewood Path. 



its extreme simplicity of outline with the shingled walls of velvety brown 
and soft green roof is almost lost to view in the verdure. There are three 
fine bedrooms, a dining room of unusual proportions, and an excellent 
living room for the accommodation of a large family. The kitchen 
lighted by two windows is commodious and attractive and the partial 
seclusion of the porch gives the cottage individuality and distinction. 

The little six-room "Winthrop" on the Wonderland Trail is a 
charming compact and conveniently arranged bungalow. The large 
living room with its three windows and open fireplace at the end is an 
inviting portion of the house. An interesting bay window in the dining 
room adds to the length and the centralized hall and entrance from 
dining room, kitchen, bath and bedrooms is a good feature. Rough 
country rock forms supports for the veranda and the heavy timbers and 
broken lines make an attractive exterior. 
The "Detroit" is one of the few two-story or story-and-a-half bungalows in Mayview Park. Built on Wonderland Trail 

it is exceptionally pleasing. There are seven rooms, four on the first floor and two bedrooms with bath on the second. The 

closet space is generous and the chimney built of stone 

on the side of the house adds a touch of color to the 

brown side walls. 

Many other cottages are ready for occupancy and 

all are equally attractive, built with careful thought and 

a fine attention to every detail. There are also still 

available a number of splendid lots in locations where 

unobstructed views of the Blue Ridge and the deep 

gorges make ideal sites for homes. Building materials 

may be obtained in the near vicinity of Blowing Rock 

and advice will be given by engineers experienced in 

construction problems in Mayview Park if desired. 

The village of Blowing Rock. 





Motoring above the clouds on Pinnacle Path. 



Watauga County 




RIMITIVE methods in manufacture of various household necessities still prevail in the little 
mountain cabins in Watauga County. Baskets of willow and white oak splits are made by both 
lien and women and durable rugs and draperies are woven by the simple kind-hearted house- 
wives for the adornment of their small domiciles. The quaint log houses recall early American 
history and the peculiarities of speech surely hark back to the old English of the early settlers. 
Chronicles of the early inhabitants are replete with interesting bits of Indian legendry and pre- 
revolutionary times. Little is known of the Cherokees who first lived in the mountain fast- 
nesses, but the good Scotch and Irish ancestors who came here from Pennsylvania, have left 
the imprint of their sturdiness on the present generation. 

Daniel Boone, as early as 1763 made his first trip through these mountains blazing the trail 
g into Tennessee. At the present town of Boone a monument of stone and concrete has been 
built on the identical spot on which once stood the log cabin in which Daniel Boone and his 
companions used to sleep while on their hunting trips. The cabin has long since disappeared, but the stones of the chimney 
remained in their original foundation until 191 1. Boone is the county seat of Watauga County and the court house is within 
a few hundred feet of where the old hunting camp of Daniel Boone once stood. The trail through the county has been 
marked with stone tablets in accordance with the traditions preserved by Colonel W. L. Bryan, a direct lineal descendant of 
the wife of Daniel Boone, and the patriotic ladies of the North Carolina Historical Commission actually placed the stones. In 
Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky the Daughters of the American Revolution have marked the trail so today the entire route 
is permanently preserved to posterity. Tales of perilous adventure, of long and arduous hunting trips of men famous in Ameri- 
can History are recorded as having taken place here. Riding a horse and leading another heavily laden with supplies, the 
pioneers journeyed in absolute solitude, sometimes crawling on hands and knees, cutting a way for their animals. 

The mountain wilderness remains for the enjoyment of the visitors to Mayview Park, but the old Indian paths have been 
broadened for motorists and the by-paths on the Grandfather are well beaten with the tramp of many feet. Boone is only a 
short motor ride of ten miles over a well-graded pike and the Yonahlossee or Bear Trail is a delightful country road winding 
in and out around the peaks forming a link between the many beautiful mountain resorts of Watauga County. 




A "Penelope of the hills," Mrs. Finley Mast at her loom. 



Valle Crucis 




OTORING along the Yonahlossee Road, past Linville and Newland to Banners Elk and Valle 
Crucis, it is customary to rest awhile at the home of Mrs. Finley Mast. Here in a quaint log loom 
house, which is over one hundred years old, Mrs. Mast, on primitive looms, weaves lovely drug- 
gets, beautiful coverlids and charming draperies. Taught to weave by her mother when a child, 
she first learned to make delightfully absorbent towels from flax grown in her father's meadows. 
;- Twenty- five years ago bolts of handwoven cloth for toweling were on the counters of every 
cross-roads store and the children of the cabins on the mountainside wove most of the material 
under the direction of their thrifty mothers. Today these children grown to womanhood, their 
angel-faced babies clinging to their skirts still spin and weave from drawings brought by their 
forebears in old world chests from England, Ireland and Scotland. The coloring used is still 
__ ^ ^^-^^^^^^^ brewed from the variety of barks, leaves, flowers and roots which grow around the peaks of the 
"^^">*TSil^HBBiBB Grandfather and even the children are trained to gather the black-eyed Susan for the petals 
which yield the exquisite yellow, and the many dye-flowers from which the brilliant indigo is made. 

The patterns are passed from cabin to cabin and the names are truly inspirational. The "True Lover's Knot," the 
"Downfall of Paris" and "Noah's Wonder" are evidently old world designs, but the "Hickory Leaf," "Sunrise," "Foxtrail," 
"Forty-nine Snowballs," "Magnolia Blossom," "Rattlesnake Trail" and "Tennessee Trouble," surely had their origin in 
these mountains. Mrs. Mast has three looms, very old and primitive, one large enough for druggets and wide rugs and the 
other two for the narrow pieces. An ancient spinning wheel is in constant use and the wool in her fabrics is shorn from 
sheep on the farm. She still grows her own flax in the fields of "Brookside" where for forty years she has spun and woven 
her beautiful wares. Since demonstrating the early methods of weaving at the Knoxville Exposition her fame has spread 
afar. In the lovely "Bloomingleaf" design she has woven a large rug, chair covers, hangings and embroidered a knotted 
bedspread for the "Blue Mountain Bedroom" in the White House at Washington. Many orders for the matched sets for 
which she has become famous have made it necessary to enlist the aid of other women versed in the homespun arts in the 
vicinity of Valle Crucis and today a profitable industry has been stimulated through her work among these "Penelopes of the 
hills." The journey from Mayview Park to "Brookside Farm" is one of the many interesting trips from Blowing Rock. 




Sunlight on Laurel Lane. 



Recreation 




ICNICING along the by-paths of the Grandfather gives one glimpses of fairyland. The peace- 
ful valley of the John's River below the crags, the sylvan beauty of the deep hemlock coves and 
the gorgeous views of the towering peaks of the Blue Ridge afford pleasure unalloyed to the 
lover of the beautiful. Nature's richest and warmest hues decorate the steep hillsides and the 
multi-colored wild flowers hold a high carnival of riotous splendor from early Spring to late 
Autumn. The great variety of mushrooms for which this region is justly famous are most 
delectable when prepared over a fire of crackling balsam boughs and to camp in the shadow 
of Chimney Rock, a gigantic tower so delicately poised that it would seem a mere gust of wind 
vv'ould unbalance it, is in truth a treat for the urbanite. Everywhere one encounters the unex- 
"* pected. Rocks weighing hundreds of tons, have stood through storm and the stress of seasons 
for countless centuries and the mountains in their rugged grandeur reveal to inquisitive man 

the story of the world in its making. To climb to the top of Thunder Hill where one lone forest 

ghost remains on guard, is one of the joys that are so plentiful for the energetic. A narrow trail leads one to the highest point 
where a marvelous view is the reward. Ransom and Grand Views, the view from the famous Blowing Rock itself and from 
Mayview Rock are all sublime, but not more so than the many viewpoints that may be obtained in v/andering along the less 
frequented trails. 

There are thirty-five hundred acres in the Moses H. Cone estate and the beautifully kept roads and charming paths are 
open to horse-driven vehicles and equestrians. The clear mountain lakes are stocked with trout and twenty-five miles of 
winding roads through picturesque orchards of apples and cherries give an added charm to Blowing Rock. 

"Cheetola," now the estate of E. C. Holt, of Burlington, North Carolina, is just a short distance beyond the village. The 
driveway wanders through a labyrinth of trees and thickets around a beautiful lake. The garden extends to the shores in 
undulating grassy terraces and the cultivated flowers are exquisite in their penetrating sweetness. 

The Norwood Golf Course is available to residents of Mayview Park on the same basis as the guests of the Green Park 
Hotel. It is considered one of the most picturesque and unique courses in the United States and is fascinating in its alluring 
environment. The turf is always in perfect condition and although showing sand in cuts, the greens are entirely covered with 




beautiful grass. The course carries the player over glistening 
streams and natural hazards affording every latitude to the skill- 
ful, without however, requiring superhuman drives. There are 
magnificent sweeps, downhill and up again with just enough 
trouble to put a premium on first-class golf. Encircling on every 
side is range on range of hills and the invigorating atmosphere 
permits long hours of this facinating and beneficial sport. Each 
season a classified series of contests are arranged with appropriate 
and handsome prizes. 

Tennis courts have been prepared on the Mayview property 
and all other outdoor sports usually enjoyed at mountain resorts 
are available here. Each summer riding horses are for hire and 
horse-drawn vehicles as well as automobiles may be rented by 
the hour or day in the village of Blowing Rock. 

There are several excellent hotels and boarding houses in the 
village and cottages may be rented by the season. The Green 
Park Hotel caters in every possible manner to the comfort and 
pleasure of its guests. Its equipment is distinctly modern and of 
the best and the management takes pleasure in arranging for the 
amusement as well as for the comfort of its patronage. The hotel 
is situated near Blowing Rock on Green Hill at an elevation of 
4,300 feet and with its broad verandas and white balconies is a 
landmark which can be seen fifteen miles away. 

The Blowing Rock Hotel, the Watauga Inn and the Martin 
Cottage are all hospitably located and convenient to Mayview 
Park. The daily menus of the numerous boarding houses and 
private cottages offer fresh mountain trout, sweet country ham, 
beef from western grazing lands, home-grown vegetables, fresh 



Picnicing near Chimney Rock. 



eggs and rich cream in abundance from the nearby farms. The 
water is pure and the comfortable quarters that may be obtained 
are unusual in mountain resorts. 

The Presbyterian Church, built from country rock, is situated 
in a picturesque spot on the main street and the clergy of the 
Episcopal Church extend a warm welcome to all visitors that 
come to their village. A number of well-stocked shops, drug- 
stores and a motion picture theater add to the convenience and 
pleasure of the cottagers. An exchange is maintained during the 
summer season for the sale of the many articles made by the 
mountain people. The hand-embroidered knotted bedspreads are 
very much in demand and the loom products and hand-made 
laces find a ready sale. Delicious jellies and jams, old-fashioned 
beaten biscuits, articles made of laurel, and willow and split 
baskets are brought from the hills. The postoffice and bank are 
centrally located and every courtesy is extended to the temporary 
resident. At the spacious new club house in Mayview Park all 
visitors to Blowing Rock are cordially received. Reservations 
may be made for private dancing parties and tea is served on the 
verandas every day during the long season. Dinners and lunch- 
eons are prepared regularly and separate dining rooms for chil- 
dren and for white and colored servants are maintained. 

The Mayview Club makes a delightful rendezvous for riding 
and driving parties and the windows of the ballroom overlook 
Grandfather Mountain, Beech Mountain, Hanging Rock, Saw- 
tooth, Hawk's Bill and the far range of the Blacks. At sunset the 
wonderful panorama of the Blue Ridge is a picture of marvelous 
beauty, and the verandas of the club are a coign of vantage unex- 




Khododendron on Calloway Park. 




Old Grandfather Mountain, his face upturned against the sky. 




The vast panorama of the Blue Ridge from the topmost point of the beautiful motor road, Wonderland Trail. 




celled in this region. Here Nature has furnished most awe-inspir- 
ing views prepared by her titanic forces and the hand of time has 
carved huge edifices that suggest ancient religious temples of 
races long extinct. 

A matchless playground, a geological wonderland and a soul- 
satisfying resting place, is the Blowing Rock region. The village 
is the highest town in North Carolina and Boone the highest 
county seat. Mount Mitchell, Clingman's Dome, Potato Knob, 
Balsam Cone and Cat-tail Peak in the Black Mountain Range, 
each one over six thousand feet above sea level, are in full view 
from many points of Blowing Rock. Asheville is seventy miles 
from Blowing Rock, Charlotte, one hundred and four miles and 
it is seventy-one miles from Johnson City, Tennessee. The new 
national highway now being constructed passes through the 
town. 

The Southern Railway to Hickory and the Carolina and 
Northwestern Railroad to Lenoir enable the traveler to make the 
journey from the north and south with ease and comfort and 
through tickets are sold to Lenoir. Automobiles meet all trains 
and the trip from Lenoir can be made in less than two hours. 
Table Rock Mountain, Mount Mitchell and other peaks of the 
Blacks can be seen on a clear day during the drive from Lenoir 
and the climb is about thirty-five hundred feet. The road crosses 
both the Catawba and the Yadkin Rivers and the natural beauties 
which unfold along the way give a foretaste of the grandeur to 
be enjoyed from the top of Grandfather Mountain. The western 
gateway through Johnson City, Tennessee, up the Doe River 
Gorge cannot be surpassed in scenic wonders in any section of 



The New River Falls. 



the east and is a very comfortable approach to the Blowing Rock 
Region from the west and southwest. Through tickets to John- 
son City by way of the Southern Railway with Pullman accom- 
modations are obtainable and the journey over the East Tennessee 
and Western North Carolina Railroad from Johnson City to 
Shulls Mills, North Carolina, is through a marvelous gorge where 
giant hemlocks and towering chestnuts line the roadbed and little 
cabins of rough-hewn logs nestle in the shade of deep coves. 
Here and there a well-worn path leading to a mountain spring 
catches the eye and pale green ferns along the banks of the 
Watauga River, the crystal clearness of the tumbling water, the 
sweetness of all the odors of the forest interwoven with the fra- 
grance of wild flowers quickens the pulse and gives a satisfying 
sense of relief from the memory of intense heat experienced in 
the lowlands. You emerge from the train at Shulls Mills to 
enjoy, for forty-five minutes, the six-mile drive by motor over 
the excellent pike to Mayview Park. 

It is a far cry from the pioneer hunters in fringed leggins, moc- 
casins, hunting shirt and powder horn to the debonair frolicking 
people that come to Blowing Rock during the hot months each 
year in comfortable motors over splendid well-kept roads; and the 
ever increasing influx of visitors has made it necessary to increase 
the number of cottages, hotels and boarding houses and to keep 
pace with the demands of travelers accustomed to the conven- 
iences of city hotels. Mayview Park makes its offering to the 
tourist, the summer visitor and to those who wish to make a per- 
manent home high above the clouds, in a climate salubrious the 
year round and abounding in views incomparable in the East. 




The New River. 




Moonlight from Valley View Road. 



Altitudes 



LD GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN extends his rugged magnitude into three counties of North 
Carolina, Watauga, Mitchell and Caldwell. Calloway, his highest peak, is 5,997 feet above the 
level of the sea. Other peaks in Watauga County are more than five thousand feet and the peaks 
of the Black Mountain chain as viewed from Mayview Park are in an altitude of between six 
and seven thousand feet. Grandfather's black rocky top is eight miles long and a rude trail has 
been blazed that seems to lead ladder-fashion straight up into the sky. On the Calloway peak 
wild heather grows and from the highest summit two viewpoints command the entire circle of 
the horizon. In the distance lies White Top where three states meet and the Black Mountains 
^,^ stand forth in their great heights very blue, and beyond them among the many familiar forms 
the faint blue line of the Smokies is discernible. The views in this region are all very impressive, be- 
cause of the deep descent of the mountain into the foothills, the long spurs sweeping downward 
in fine lines into a great depth. The splendid slopes of the Grandfather are enchanting when 
autumn colors them in tall gold and crimson forest trees and the outpouring of fragrance does not pass with the summer as in 
northern forests. The resinous perfume, distilled from a thousand pines, firs and hemlocks remains until the leaves grow scarce 
during the mild winter days of January. 

Watauga County 




Elevation — feet 

Mayview Park 4,500 

Blowing Rock .' 4,090 

Boone ... -3 -3-32 

Valle Crucis . 2i726 

Beech Mountain 5,522 



Elevation — feet 

Sugar Mountain 5,289 

Grandfather Mountain 5,964 

Hanging Rock 5,237 

Bald of Rich Mountain 5,300 

Elk Knob 5.555 



Black 

Elevation — 

Mount Mitchell 6,711 

Clingman's Dome g'gii 

Balsam Cone 6645 

Rocky Trail \ [ g.^gS 



Mountain Range 

■f'=< Elevation— feet 

Potato Hill 6,487 

Cat-tail Peak 6,609 

Potato Knob 6,419 

Dome Gap 6,352 




After a summer's rain, from the higfiest point on Wonderland Trail the clouds extend in snowy masses. 



Legends of Blowing Rock 



LIMBING to the highest point of the famous Blowing Rock, one recalls the ancient Indian 
legend of the Cherokees as told by the mountain people. 

Here the beautiful daughter of the chief of the tribe would come in the soft twilight to keep 
tryst with a handsome warrior who had not found favor in the eyes of her father. He wooed her 
long and ardently, but through her father's opposition she soon tired of him and at the same spot 
entertained other lovers who were high in the good graces of their chief. The infuriated discarded 
lover, meeting her at the old trysting place, threatened to cast himself from the cliff if she refused 
to agree to an alliance. Begging her sweetheart for a reprieve, so that she might consult with her 
father, she hastened to the tepee of the great chief who refused to allow his daughter to marry a 
man who had failed to win a high place in the tribe by performing heroic deeds of valor to win 
her. The frenzied suitor, heartbroken, jumped from the precipice before the eyes of the maiden 
and the tremendous force of the wind hurled him back into her arms. Declaring her choice was 
made by the Great Father she defied the mighty chief and followed her lover into the wilderness. 

Having heard the legend many visitors have calmly thrown their possessions over the cliffs, only to see them in obedience 
to the law of gravity, instead of that of fancy, disappear beneath the treetops far below, for it is only when the northwest wind 
blows in its tremendous force that articles are blown back to the point from which they are thrown. 




The Brown Mountain Light 

About ten years ago the mountaineers were attracted by a peculiar moving light which appeared at the top of Brown 
Mountain. After a Spring storm it has been seen to flash as many as fifteen times within an hour. The Geological Survey 
reached the conclusion that the light was a reflection from the locomotives of some new railroad, but the observations of vari- 
ous people who make their homes in these mountains have destroyed this theory, as trips have been made to the spot and vari- 
ous signals established with parties encamped in other sections. The light frequently occurred before and after the passing of 
locomotives and at times when no trains were being operated. One interesting theory advanced declares a phosphorescent rock 
or perhaps vapor rising from the peat bogs produces the light, and another observer claims it to be a mirage. 




Laurel Lane in Mayview Park, Flat Top Mountain in the distance. 



Main Automobile Routes 




OTORING from New York City Philadelphia, Washington and other points north of Mayview 
Park, the route usually taken is by the Southern National Highway, through Fredericksburg, 
Virginia, to Richmond, Petersburg, South Hill and Clarksville ; to Oxford, North Carolina, Dur- 
\^, ham, Greensboro, Salisbury, Statesville and Hickory, North Carolina. The trip from Hickory to 
Blowing Rock and Mayview Park by way of Lenoir takes about three hours and is over a fine 
well-kept pike. The Lincoln and Atlantic Highways are followed from New York to Philadel- 
phia and Washington and the entire trip may be made with comfort in three days. There are 
good hotels in the various towns, the scenery is very fine the whole distance and the roads 
in excellent condition. 

The trip south from New York through Gettysburg is not recommended by the Ameri- 
can Automobile Association as a satisfactory motor trip to Blowing Rock. The roads are good 
through Frederick, Maryland, to Johnson City, Tennessee, over the Lee Highway, but the moun- 
tain road from Johnson City to Blowing Rock is very much in need of repair. If this route is taken, however, motorists are 
advised to continue on through New Market and Newport to Asheville, turning back over the Southern National Highway to 
Hickory. From the Southwest the Dixie and Southern National Highways are the preferred routes. There are splendid roads 
from Atlanta, Georgia; Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nashville and Memphis through Knoxville^to Asheville thence to Hickory 
and to Mayview Park and Blowing Rock. 

The lack of bridges across many of the streams accounts for the frequent mention of "fords" in the maps issued by th" 
American Automobile Association. Several unbridged streams are encountered, especially in the mountainous districts and 
are not always the result of willful neglect, but rather an indication of a country of long distances and relatively small popula- 
tion. On approaching a stream which overflows the road, it is advisable to go into low gear — not so much on account of hid- 
den obstacles as to be prepared to pull quickly and safely out of a soft bottom. 

All states from New York to Florida, inclusive, now grant sufficient reciprocity to enable tourists to make the trip either 
north or south without the necessity of taking out separate licenses and the mountainous region of North Carolina is fast be- 
coming the principal touring center of the states east of the Mississippi. 




Lake Mayview, an ideal swimming pool of three acres. 




Mayview Club House 



The Mayview club house has been erected for the pleasure and comfort of the residents of Mayview Park, but is also open 
to motorists and to the summer visitors and residents of Blowing Rock. Situated on the very brink of John's River Gorge 
and overlooking Grandfather and the Black Mountain Range it affords views unexcelled even in this marvelous country of 
wonderful vistas. The main dining room accommodates more than two hundred guests and afternoon teas and bridge lunch- 
eons are served during the summer season. Dancing in the evening is one of the many attractions of the club and special 
arrangements can be made for private parties. The dining rooms are available to transients as well as to the cottagers who 
do not wish to prepare their own food, and separate dining rooms have been reserved for children and for white and colored 
servants. A refrigerating plant has been provided for the imported meats and sea food, and fresh green vegetables and fruits, 
good country butter, milk and eggs are used in every menu. The rate for meals is moderate and cuisine the best. 




Vista of Rich Mountain from Laurel Lane. 




PLAN or SUBDIVISION OF 

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5L0V1NG ROCK. NORTH CMOLINA 
WL. ALEXANDER. OVNEL 

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Location of Cottages in Mayview Park Developm. 



For detailed information address 
W. L. ALEXANDER 
Mayview Park, Blowing Rock, North Carolina 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 417 902 A 



